Weather strip



WEATHER STRIP Filed July 19. 1926 fiuemtor Jazz 6. 5 A Q zz Patented May 17, 1927. I

JOHN G. S. HALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Application filed July 19,

My present invention relates to weather strips, and it has more particular reference to a structure of this character that may be made either with or without a molding piece of wood, metal or the like.

\Veather-strips have been in a great number of forms, and a structure which is in demand consists of a wooden molding having a channeled edge or a recessed rear face. in which channel or recess there is inserted a strip of felt or the like which performs the cushioning function of the structure when installed upon doors, windows, and other closures.

Such Weatherstripping of course is short: lived for several reasons, among which is that, being subject to the natural elements, the felt decays and becomes useless, and when the doors and windows are painted these strips are usually painted, which causes the felt to harden and thereby lose its cushioning effect. The same inherent objections apply to weather-strip structures in which rubber or the like is substituted for the felt because the rubber will deteriorate much quicker than the felt. It has also been found that the felt affords an excellent nesting place for moths and other insects, the larvae of which will consume a considerable quantity of the felt and thus destroy the usefulness of the weather strip.

With my present invention 1 have provided a flat ribbon of felt or the like and have enveloped the same in a covering made from waterproofcd cloth or similar woven material, such material being commercially known as waterproof-sheeting or rubberizedsheeting and the envelo )e is so made that it encloses and seals all of the felt ribbon, especially the exposed portion thereof so that there is little or no deterioration thereof due to climatic conditions, and at the same time the insects are excluded from access to the felt. The envelope is preferably sewn by stitches that pass entirely through all the layers or plies of the material. In this connection, the stitching of the material affords an excellent stay for the weather-strip when the same is used without a molding and assists in holding the structure tightly against the frame or closure 11 on which it is mounted, as will be pointe out in the following description.

I have numerous objects in mind, the first of wh ch is to provide a Weather-Strip that WEATHER STRIP.

1926. Serial No. 123,300.

may be economically and quickly made in large quantities so that it may be retailed for a low price. Another object resides in providing a weather-strip that may be made in continuous lengths, wound upon a spool and sold in any length desired by a customer, and when being applied to the window or door may be installed in a continuous man ner so as to avoid cutting in several lengths for a desired installation. Also there is no waste in the use of a structure such as herein disclosed. Other objects reside in providing a device of this character that is novel in construction, dependable in operation, and which has inherent advantages over the structures now in favor.

I prefer to carry out my invention and to accomplish the divers objects thereof in substantially the manner hereinafter described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an end edge view of a. weather strip made in accordance with my invention and shows a preferred manner of carrying out my invention.

Figures 2 to 7 inclusive are end edge views similar to Figure 1 showing modifications of the structure first illustrated.-

Figure 8 is a longitudinal plan of a length of my weather-strip showing the manner of installing the same.

Figure 9 is a perspective view, with the forward end in transverse section of a frag-- mentary portion of the structure illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of incorporating weather-strip in a wooden molding and installing the same.

The drawings are in a sense merely schematic for the purpose of illustrating preferred types of my invent-ion, and in said drawings similar reference characters have been employed to designate the same parts wherever they appear throughout the several views.

The structm'e illustrated in Figures 11.

8, 9 and 10 illustrate the preferred type that is shown to comprise a ribbon or elongated flat piece of felt or similar fibrous material 15 that has inherent resilient cushioning characteristics and is flexible, pliable and may beicompressed or mpacted and Wi l retain its normal shape when pressure is released. This felt ribbon is enclosed in an envelop 16 that is formed from waterproof and moistureproof fabric of a suitable width to surround and protect the felt from at; mosphericand other foreign elements and from insects, and it will be noted that the longitudinal edges 17 and 18 of the envelope fabric overlap each other to quite an extent. The envelope may besecured to the felt ribbon and the edges secured down by cement or in any other suitable manner but I prefer tosecure these parts together by means of machine-sewn stitches 19, which latter in Figure 1 are shown as consisting of two parallel rows that are spaced inside the edges of the structure far enough to hold down the longitudinal'edges of the envelope material. The stitches afford rein forcement against transverse movement of the strip when installed, as is hereinafter pointed out.

I prefer to employ for the envelop material the fabric con'imei'cia-l'ly known as waterproof-sheeting or rubberized-sheetingwhich may be readily cut into strips of the desired width and'the felt ribbon may also be cut the desired width froin'coi'itinuous sheets. This permits the weather-strip being manufactured upon machines of the multiple or gang type and incontinuous lengths, and such machines may be provided with slitting devices for cutting the stripsof material as they are fed to the machine, and also with folders or turners for enclosing the felt ribbon in its'waterproof fabric envelop. After leaving the machine thestrips may be wound upon spools to contain several hundred feet thereof which is convenient to handle and store.

When being installed upon a window or door the workman need not measure the height and width of the opening and cut the required lengths, but need only start say at the lower left hand corner of the opening where he secures the end of the weather-strip by a suitable tack or nail 20, which is driven through the strip and into the'frame, the location of the tack being in juXta-position to a row of stitches 19. The strip 'is'now pulled'taut and the next tack is driven close to the same row of stitches and with the'etlge of the strippressedto wards or snugly into the corner formed by the meeting portions of the frame and closure. As the stitching is done with heavy thread the row adjacent 'which the tacks are driven acts as a tie or stay between the tacks and maintainsthis intermediate portion in'positiolr and prevents'the same sagging or bulging away from the closure or structure to which it is secured.

In Figure Qthe felt ribbon may be of less width than-illustrated in Figure' l, and the longitudinal: edges 17 and 1 8 of the fabric envelop do not overlap to the extent to which they are overlapped in Figure l, and there is but a single row of stitches 19.

F i gure 3 shows a type in which the longitudinal edges 17 and 1.8 of the fabric onvelop do not overlap and there is a gap 21 formed in the back or underside of the weather-strip through which the surface of the felt ribbon is exposed, said cd is being secured by the two stitched rows L). This type is more particularly adapted for use in combination with a molding as the glue or cement is applied to the felt and back of the unit and will adhere to the wood molding in a more dependable manner.

In Figure at I have shown the felt ribbon 15 as surrounded on one longitudinal edge with an additional, ribbon of thinner and wider felt 22 that. is folded longitmlinally to fit over the ribbon l5 and may be of softer felt so as to increase the cushioning effect of the article.

In some instances it may be desirable to employ a wmither-strip of greater thickness than those nreviously described and for this purpose I provide the structure illustrated in Figure 5, wherein the ribbon 15') is cut double width and a wider envelop strip lll is made. The felt ribbon is placed llat upon the envelop sheet and the longitiulinal edge 17 and 18 of the envelop are lohled over the upper face of the ribbon until they substantially meet at tho longiliulinal center of the ribbon. The structure thus far :u-; sembled is then folded longitudinally upon itself with the edges 17 and l8 ol the envelop innermost and the whole is then sewn together with the stitching LS).

In the modification shown in Figure (3 the outer overlapping part of the envelop is formed by making a fold 18" which will dispose the edge inside the envelop and there will be no uncut edges left exymscd.

For the purpose of providing a very soil, structure 1 find this may be :u'complishcd by slmerposing several thin layers or plies of thin soft felt ribbon 15 as shown in Figure 7, and then enclosing the same in an envelop similar to that of any of the types herein described, the one illustrated being that exemplified in Figure l.

'The \veatl'rcr-strip which I have described is capable of ready use by itself, and it may be combined with a wood or other molding 23 such. as illustrated in Figure in which is provided upon its back or rear face with a loin itudinal recess 24 that atfords a seat in whichthe whither-strip unit may be secured by glue, cement, or in any other suitable manner, and I desire it explicitly understood that I do not in anywise limit myself to a unit to be used in combination with a molding. It will also be appreciated that the unit may be made in other "forms than those herein disclosed Jdil ll I

r i I and employing a flat ribbon of felt or similar material with which a suitable fabric envelop is employed.

\Vhat I claim is:-

1. A weather strip ada ted for edge contact in use comprising a exible pliable ribbon of fibrous material, a fabric strip folded around said fibrous ribbon and protecting the portion thereof that is ex osed in use, the longitudinal edges of said strip lying flat against and parallel to said ribbon, and at least one of the longitudinal edges of the fabric strip adapted to receive attaching devices that are passed through the ribbon to mount the weather-strip, the relative disposition being such that a longitudinal edge of the ribbon is adapted to be engaged and compressed transversely against a structure opposing the member upon which the strip is mounted.

2. A weather-strip ada ted for edge contact in use, comprising a fiexible pliable ribbon of fibrous material, a fabric strip folded around said fibrous ribbon and protecting the portion thereof that is ex osed in use, the longitudinal edges of sai strip lying flat against and parallel to said ribbon and stitching extendlng longitudinall of the structure and passed through the ribbon and fabric adjacent an edge of the latter, the stitching being at a location Where attaching devices passed through the strip to mount the same will prevent lateral distor tion of the strip, the relative disposition of said elements being such that a longitudinal edge of the stri is adapted to be engaged and compresse transversely against a structure opposing the member upon which the strip is mounted.

3. A weather strip ada ted for edge contact in use, comprising a exible pliable ribbon of fibrous material, a molding strip having a longitudinal seat in which said fibrous ribbon is secured, a fabric strip enclosing and protecting the exposed portion of the fibrous ribbon, with its longitudinal edges lying flat against and parallel to said fibrous ribbon, and stitching passed through the fibrous ribbon and fabric stri adjacent an edge of the latter at a location where at taching devices passed through the weather strip to mount the same will prevent lateral distortion of the ribbon and fabric strip, the relative disposition of said elements being such that a longitudinal edge of the ribbon is adapted to be engaged and compressed transversely against a structure opposing the member upon which the molding is mounted.

l. A weather strip adapted for edge con 6 by to prevent bulging of the flexible elcments, and the longitudinal edges of said flexible elements being adapted to be engaged and compressed transversely against a structure opposing the member upon which the molding is mounted.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook, and State of Illinois, this 12th day of July,

JOHN G. S. HALL. 

